Tuesday, February 23, 2016

What's in My Makeup Bag for a Wedding Weekend

I've mentioned here a few times that almost all of my close friends got married within the same 16-month span, during which Andrew and I went to 9 weddings. Almost all of them were at the chapel on our college campus, and our living out of state at the time meant, naturally, a lot of travel time, but also a lot of packing, which I somehow manage to be both good at planning and horribly inefficient at actually executing. Every time we have a trip, I tell myself I've got the routine down and have a list, so I delude myself into thinking it will be easy and put it off. Then I find myself throwing extra thing after extra thing into my bags on the way out the door, panicked that I'm not bringing something off-list I might need.

So even with 9 weddings in less than two years under my postpartum belly band, I didn't really get better at general travel packing. But I can say I did streamline my makeup routine into a few true blue staples I could use for daytime and nighttime weddings alike, few enough to fit into the tiny pink number you see up there and bring along in my bag for the day. I might be wrongly assuming everyone else shares my nosiness about other people's favorite beauty products, but can I suggest some of the same for you?

Here's what I like to pack for rehearsal and wedding day makeup (some affiliate links):

Blush and bronzer palette: The E.L.F palette I have is meant to be an affordable alternative to this one by NARS that I'm sure I'd love, but mine does the job just fine. After my foundation, I apply the bronzer in the shape of the number 3 from temples to chin (I read it somewhere once and it works for my face), and the blush on the apples of my cheeks. Then I also use the bronzer on my eyes. Not having to pack eyeshadow for the win. It's subtle, but still adds depth and a little somethin' somethin' that I like. One thing I'll say about the palette; these shades seem pretty heavily pigmented, so for my skin tone I have to use a really light hand (except on the eyes), unless it's summer and I have a little tan.

Eyeliner: For being a bridesmaid and for evenings, I line my eyes. I know black is classic, and maybe it's just the brands I've tried, but black usually ends up too dramatic or ambitious than I like to look; it also seems to migrate under my eyes in a way that always looks zombie, not smoky. So brown it is, and top lids only for me. This one is my favorite.Mascara: I'd actually never worn mascara for my entire, since-8th-grade-strong makeup-wearing career until this past summer! Every product I used, even waterproof, gave my eye area the same dark cast I experience with black eyeliner. But anyway, I was reading about mascara recommendations in a magazine a while back, and an editor who described herself as having oily skin and Asian eyes (like me), and having always experienced mascara migration problem (also like me), said that this mascara, which is formulated as tubes surrounding your lashes rather than stuff adhering to them (I don't think of these things; I just relay the info) doesn't budge. And she's right! With an exception. The formula is meant to wash off with warm water. I wore it to a wedding last summer and, oops, tears are warm water. Meltage galore. Or actually, it doesn't really dissolve, but slides off in one eyelash-shaped glob, no raccoon eyes or scrubbing, when you remove it, which is one of my favorite things about it. So while I think this particular mascara is awesome for everyday, maybe you're better off with your own tried and true for this one!Nail polish: I procrastinate on manicures for events thinking that the closer to the big day, the smaller chance of my nails getting totaled. But it's not the best--I've painted them in the moving car or in the parking lot outside the church at least three times on the way to a wedding. I should probably plan ahead more or just go naked-nailed, but knowing myself, for traveling I bring a light and a dark shade in my makeup bag to match whatever I end up wearing. I like Essie Fiji and Wicked.Chapstick: I went through a bright lip phase a few years ago, but now that I'm constantly kissing my babies I don't wear lipstick too often anymore. All the better for Andrew, a professed hater of colorful lips. Just chapstick for this kisser these days. I know everyone has her own favorite, but I've used Burt's Bees since high school and love it for the not-too-slippery texture. Every time I've cheated on my beloved Honey or Peppermint flavors, I've regretted it, so I just stick with those.

Other stuff I bring along: Perfume, bobby pins and hair elastics, earrings, and hairspray (well, full disclosure, the hairspray doesn't fit in the makeup bag so I just bring it along in my purse or keep it in the car). And snacks! Driving long distances, staying over at someone's house or in a hotel, and the busyness of running from wedding event to event adds up to erratic eating patterns and, for me, hanger. I like to keep nuts, cereal, fruit, and if I'm really on top of things, hard-boiled eggs in a cooler bag to eat while we're running around. Actually, now that I have a toddler, I've learned how essential it is to never leave home without food, lest crankiness take over, so the snack-packing aspect has gotten easier to prioritize. I tried and tried to find a video of this, but let's just have a moment mentally: remember when Michael Scott asked Pam's mom for a snack at Pam and Jim's wedding? "You're a mom, so I thought you might have one," he says. That's my life now.

Alright, ladies. Any other frequent wedding travelers out there? I meant it when I said I'm nosy about other women's beauty routines, so I'm all ears on your favorite products and multi-taskers. Indulge my curiosity?